The Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson
By Subject
FOREIGN RELATIONS / PUBLICATION OF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
...no ground of support for the Executive will ever be so sure as a
complete knowledge of their proceedings by the people; and it is only
in cases where the public good would be injured, and
because it would be injured, that proceedings should be
secret. In such cases it is the duty of the Executive to sacrifice
their personal interests (which would be promoted by publicity) to the
public interest. If the negotiations with England are at an end, if
not given to the public now, when are they to be given? and what
moment can be so interesting? If anything amiss should happen from the
concealment, where will the blame originate at last? It may be
said, indeed, that the President puts it in the power of the
Legislature to communicate these proceedings to their constituents;
but is it more their duty to communicate them to their constituents,
than it is the President's to communicate them to his constituents?
And if they were desirous of communicating them, ought the President
to restrain them by making the communication confidential? I think no
harm can be done by the publication, because it is impossible England,
after doing us an injury, should declare war against us, merely
because we tell our constituents of it; and I think good may be done,
because while it puts it in the power of the Legislature to adopt
peaceable measures of doing ourselves justice, it prepares the minds
of our constituents to go cheerfully into an acquiescence under the
measures, by impressing them with a thorough and enlightened
conviction that they are founded in right The motive, too, of proving
to the people the impartiality of the Executive between the two
nations of France and England, urges strongly that while they are to
see the disagreeable things which have been going on as to France, we
should not conceal from them what has been passing with England, and
induce a belief that nothing has been doing.
to George Washington, 2 December 1793
|